We're Just ... So ... Afraid

Are you a science major who loves chemistry but is confused by trig? Or maybe you actually kind of like math, but stats are so completely mind-blowing that they're driving you to consider taking up smoking and drinking -- even though you are Amish?

If you love math and are good at it, please stop reading now. Also, screw you. This article is for people who need serious help with one of the most evil things in the known universe: college math. But honestly, is it math really all that bad? Yes. But it can be made bearable even for the math-challenged, which is a good thing, because math is unavoidable. Even the most artsy-fartsy liberal arts college has a math requirement.

You Can Dooo Eet

First of all, let's bust some math myths. Somewhere, somehow, a lot of us learned some crazy "truths" about math. Like math is so hard that only really smart people can do it. And that that math is something that girls and women can't really do. Both of these statements are, frankly, crap and lies. Math doesn't require genius-level ability, just a willingness to work hard (very hard). And your college probably has a few female math professors who can tell you that women really can do math, and do it very well.

And now that you're in college and you actually get to choose whose classes you take, choose wisely and look out for crappy math professors. If high school taught you that math teachers are cranky, unhelpful people who like to make students memorize useless crap, let college teach you something else. Ask around (try the college math lab) and find out which professors are good at helping students who struggle with math. The last thing you need in a hard math class is a professor who is unhelpful, condescending or who pretty much sucks at explaining things. Believe it or not, a lot of professors like to help and love to see students do well. Try to find a professor like that.

And please, when it comes to math, GO TO CLASS. If there was ever a class to try to attend regularly, math is it. No matter how much you enjoy sleeping in, learn to love passing math more. In math, lessons often build on each other. Miss a class, and you miss something vital to what's coming up.

Probably the best general advice for any math student is this: apply yourself. Go to class, keep up with homework, and don't let yourself get too far behind. Math's just too hard to handle any other way. Look, I didn't say I had a magic potion to make math easy. Passing math is an unglamorous (if occasionally surprisingly fun) process involving two main ingredients: hard work and time. (Ugh.)

Homework Hell?

You also have to deal with the fact that math homework takes a long time to do, probably a lot longer than your homework for any other subject. And there ain't nothin' you can do about it. Have patience with yourself and make time for a long learning curve and homework that takes up to a few hours every day.

And as you're doing that homework, don't forget what homework is really for -- teaching you how to work problems. Because math homework is sooooo hard, it's easy to want to rush through it and get it over with. Your goal shouldn't be to come up with an answer that matches the solutions manual so you can move on to the next problem and get that much closer to freedom. Your goal should be to understand what you're doing, and be able to repeat the process with a slightly different problem. With math, real understanding is key. Don't just barf back formulas you memorize. Try to know what you are doing and why.

Extra Help: It’s What’s for Dinner

Also, get all the extra help you can. For the love of free condoms from the student health center, find your college math lab. There probably isn’t a better way to improve your test score than to seek out the expert help you can get in the math lab. And they're not your only other option. The For Dummies series of books has titles on math subjects (algebra, calculus, trig) that are easy to understand and full of useful tips, shortcuts and insights students need.

Study groups can also be a huge help. If you think some others in your class might be open to it, start up a study group. Do your best to study with people who are better in math than you are or who have better study habits than you, because just like mono, study habits are contagious. And don't forget that college professors usually don't mind to lend a hand after class. If you're totally stumped by a section or feeling anxious about your studies, talk to your prof. Your teacher can answer questions, pump up your confidence and remind you that you're not the first student to struggle with the evil of half-angle formulas.

It’s a fact of life that some people are good in math, and some totally suck at math. Don't compare yourself to others, especially not that frikkin’ blonde chick across from you who is so frikkin’ good at calculus that green jealousy beams shoot out of your eyes every time she aces another frikkin’ quiz as you make a big fat 73. Do your best and just let go. Feel good about yourself no matter what happens with your tests. You're more than a test grade, and more than your math ability. Talk to others in your class or around the math lab and you'll quickly find out that you're not the only one who ever felt like a total loser because of a hard math class. You are not and will never be the only one feeling anxious, inadequate or fearful about math.

And when math cuts you down so low that you could hurt yourself by jumping off a piece of toilet paper, check this out: The Math Anxiety Bill of Rights. It just might make you feel better.

You know the most reassuring thing about math requirements? Unlike the integers, they are not infinite. Don't forget that someday you'll actually be done with them. Until then, hang in there!